Magical Magical

In March 2014, the excellent Ghent based tape label Dauw opened up its musical doors. Since then we've closely kept up with their wonderful releases by some very dear friends, with the one exception of artists we knew personally being the wonderful Osnabrück artist, Cass. In 2014 Pieter from Dauw very kindly recommended Cass. to Home Normal for the release of his newest work. After a little time getting this all wrapped up, we are so happy to announce the release of his latest album, 'Magical Magical'.

Born in 1991, Niklas Rehme-Schlüter (aka. Cass.) only started self-releasing music in 2010. To date his work has been released on small tape and vinyl editions, with his new release for Home Normal being the first CD pressing of his work. Featuring common collaborators Altars Altars, Miriam Jolene, Emily Cross, Emil Hewitt, Moritz Leppers, 'Magical Magical' is a playful album of electronic music, brimming over with melodies, ideas, and youthful tenderness. A near filmic equivalent would perhaps be the work of Hayao Miyazaki with his focus on the hidden depths of spirit through the innocence of childhood. It marks quite the turn from his previously meditative work as seen in 'Loops & Farewell Sketches', and shows just how talented this super artist is.

For a more specific note, the concept of Kamikakushi, which literally translates as 'hidden by spirits' or 'spirited away') really comes into play. Again this is stealing the idea from the genius of Miyazaki, but the idea basically stems from the concept of a liminal journey through a realm of gods and spirits, specifically the unknown journey taken by children as they are taken by gods, often reappearing after this physical disconnect at a temple or shrine days later. This pre-modern Japanese concept is often more modernly represented as the path from childhood through to adulthood, but the pre-modern focus of innocence, the unknown, and ethereal antiquity, somehow encompasses the aptly titled 'Magical Magical' so accurately with its focus on such ideas as light, dreams, love, and finally, death (as finite or infinite as that may well be).